Farm
groups ask biotech firms to adopt patent expiration strategy

Washington,
May 19 – The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), American Soybean
Association (ASA) and National Farmers Union (NFU) are urging biotech trait
providers to adopt a common strategy to ensure that farmers can continue to
plant and export crops derived from biotechnology once trait patents expire.

Lobbyists
for AFBF, NFU and ASA circulated a joint statement during a private meeting
Wednesday with representatives of BASF, Bayer CropScience, Dow AgroSciences,
DuPont, Monsanto and Syngenta to convey farmers’ concerns about competition and
innovation in the biotech seed industry.

“Since our farmers have a significant stake in
ensuring that a timely resolution is realized, we wanted to share with you our
thoughts on this subject,” the groups say in the statement, which was obtained
by Agri-Pulse.

The
Roundup Ready soybean trait (RR1) is scheduled to go off-patent after the 2014
growing season.Monsanto has pledged to
maintain full global regulatory support for the first generation technology
through at least 2017. Yet to be decided is who will assume the responsibility
for obtaining international export approval for RR1 beyond 2017 and the
guidelines governing pre-expiration access to other patented traits that aren’t
broadly licensed.

“Our
members are eager for our organizations to work with the technology providers,
regulators, and others to resolve these issues in a satisfactory and timely
manner,” says the statement, which adds that any resolution must be
enforceable.

“We
were happy to participate in the meeting” Monsanto said in a statement, because
“we believe it is a top priority to ensure an international approval process to
keep export markets open for farmers as long as needed and to have an open path
for seed companies and universities to enter the generic market as soon as
patents expire.”

Monsanto
and other trait providers are currently working through the Biotechnology
Industry Organization to find common ground on issues involving the expiration
of biotech crop patents.

While
the current focus is on soybeans and other open-pollinated crops, “all crops
are different, notes Syngenta, which does not have proprietary traits in soy
now, “so the discussion will be different for each.”

In
a statement following the meeting, the company said that any solution to
post-patent issues must take into account legal and regulatory
considerations.

This week’s guest on Open Mic is Rod Hebrink, President and CEO of Compeer Financial. The lack of certainty from a new farm bill and weak commodity prices due to lost export markets and robust supplies have left farmers and lenders with a grim outlook for 2019. In this interview, Hebrink discusses the challenge of the unknown and the need for legislators and the White House to take action on farm policy, trade and regulations to help rural America prepare for the year ahead.

The world of agriculture extends beyond what’s growing in your field or living in your barn, and here at Agri-Pulse, we understand that. We make it our duty to inform you of the most up-to-date agricultural and rural policy decisions being made in Washington D.C. and examine how they will affect you – the farmer, the lobbyist, the government employee, the educator, the consultant and the concerned citizen.